Health and human services faculty and staff members saluted
KALAMAZOO—Four Western Michigan University faculty and staff members were recently presented awards by Dr. Earlie M. Washington, dean of the College of Health and Human Services.
Washington presented the awards at a Dec. 7 ceremony to recognize the recipients—Helen Beck and Drs. Linda Reeser, Robert Wall Emerson and James Henry. They received a monetary award and a certificate and were recognized on a plaque on display at the college.
The annual awards are presented to honor faculty and staff, while recognizing and perpetuating the college's tradition of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service.
Award recipients
Beck, coordinator of the college's Learning Resource Center, received the 2012 Outstanding Customer Service Award for her exemplary fulfillment of the college's eight customer service goals. The many nominations and letters of support she received cited her positive impact on all the college's constituents—particularly students.
Reeser, professor of social work, was honored with the 2011-12 Excellence in Teaching Award, which she received earlier this year. The award recognizes excellence in one or more of the following areas: classroom teaching; creative/innovative work as regards teaching, fieldwork or supervision; and teaching that involves interdisciplinary or collaborative activity. Nominators noted her passion for the subjects she teaches and her dynamic, creative teaching style.
Emerson and Henry were recognized with awards initiated this year to celebrate faculty members whose research or scholarship have advanced their professions and enhanced the reputation of the college.
Emerson, professor of blindness and low vision studies, received the inaugural Research Excellence Award, which emphasizes empirical work of a qualitative or quantitative nature. Emerson was cited for his international recognition as a clinician-researcher, a prolific history of publishing and presenting research, significant contributions to interdisciplinary research and significant research funding.
Henry, director of the Child Trauma Assessment Center, received the inaugural Scholarship Excellence Award, which emphasizes exemplary service and contributions to a profession through such activities as advancing certification or accreditation, implementing program evaluation activities and publishing. He was singled out for the consistency, quantity and impact of his funded and unfunded scholarship in advancing knowledge development and practice regarding children and trauma and his status as a noted scholar through his research, evaluation and training activities.